3 Ways To Get More Protein

Mmmmm, crickets. Some folks love them. Including me?

Back in 2012 I went to Thailand with a couple of friends. We spent our evenings out exploring the night markets in Bangkok. It was amazing (at least to this early riser) to see so many families out past midnight eating at the street food vendors.

At one point we ventured off the beaten track and stumbled across a cart selling “bugs on a stick.” You could order large scorpions, grasshoppers, and crickets. Not your regular Iowa State Fair Corn Dog, I’ll tell ya that much.

I didn’t eat any… back then.

But today, you might have heard, there’s a protein bar company that is using cricket flour to deliver 10 grams of protein. The company is Exo.co, and they use cricket flour as a sustainable source of protein.

Say what you want, I really like their Cocoa Nut protein bar (but I recommend avoiding the Blueberry and Apple flavors because they are too sweet, thanks to the dates and other fruits used in the bar composition).

So yes, ol’ CB eats crickets. Of course, there are plenty of other ways to add protein to your diet. And why would you want to do to that?

Research shows eating more protein helps burn more belly fat, build lean muscle, and gives you a slim, firm body.

The best bang for your buck comes from combining resistance training with dairy protein shakes, like the ones from BioTrust.com.

In a study published in the February issue of the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, a group of 65 year old men did four months of resistance training. The men that had a dairy-based protein shake lost more fat than men that did the training but did not have the protein shake.

Another study (from the February issue of the journal, Sports Medicine) agrees. My old friend, Dr. Stuart Phillips, recommends consuming 20 grams of whey protein immediately after your workout to help you gain muscle and lose fat. (And YES, you CAN do both at the same time).

Dr. Phillips, a professor at McMaster University (where I earned my Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology), also recommends consuming three other meals each day that contain at least 20 grams of protein.

Meat, fish, milk, and yes, even crickets, can help you get the protein you need. Ol’ Bally the Dog and I love to share a pork chop, rib-eye steaks, roast chicken, salmon, and even smoked trout. Although I’ve yet to see him eat a cricket.

An ounce of meat gives you 7 grams of protein, so it doesn’t take large portions to get 20 grams. There’s no need for 12 ounce steaks or Fred Flinstone-style brontosaurus ribs in your diet… although to be honest, I always wanted to have a giant plate of those ribs!

The fastest, best, and cheapest way to add protein to your diet is to take advantage of the new BioTrust Free Protein giveaway. My friends Joel and Josh have extended this for a few more days. If you haven’t gotten your free bottle yet, just click that link to take advantage of their generous offer.

It sure beats eating crickets! You can leave the weird stuff to me… heck, I’m not even sure if Bally the Dog would eat a cricket bar… although he definitely barks at crickets in the garage gym every summer.

Enjoy the belly-fat burning benefits of a little extra protein in your diet. Stick to Dr. Phillips’ recommendations of 20 grams, four times per day, and you’ll see your body shape up and slim down in no time.

To your best diet ever,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer